Chicago right wing Ben Smith takes a swipe at the puck as Minnesota defenseman Keith Ballard defends in the first period of game four of the second round Stanley Cup playoff's at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Friday night, May 9, 2014. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

CHICAGO — Wild defenseman Keith Ballard and left wing Matt Moulson were expected to remain in Minnesota as the team traveled here Saturday, both to deal with separate injuries.

Ballard was boarded into the corner by Chicago forward Brandon Bollig in the second period of Game 4 Friday and didn’t return to action with an apparent upper body injury.

Defenseman Keith Ballard and left wing Matt Moulson were expected to remain in Minnesota when the team traveled to Chicago on Saturday to deal with injuries.

Ballard was boarded into the corner by Blackhawks forward Brandon Bollig in the second period Friday and didn’t return to action because of an apparent upper body injury.

On Saturday, Bollig was suspended for two games by the NHL Department of Player Safety.

In a video explaining its decision, the department said: “The onus is entirely upon Bollig to ensure that he avoids this check completely, or, at the very least, attempt to minimize contact. He does neither.”

Bollig appeared in all 82 Chicago regular season games, recording seven goals and seven assists. But the fourth-liner was scratched in Game 2 before returning to the lineup in Game 3.

It was Ballard’s second game since returning to the lineup after he replaced defenseman Nate Prosser in Game 3.

With Ballard out, Prosser likely will re-enter the lineup, Yeo said.

“I want to get back in and play … with a chip on my shoulder and play physical and be hard on their forwards in the corner or in front of the net,” Prosser said. “Just do what I can to help this team win.”

Prosser likely will join Clayton Stoner on the Wild’s third defensive pairing, where he played in Games 1 and 2 before exiting the lineup for Ballard.

“I felt bad for him coming back and getting an injury,” Stoner said of Ballard. “I know how that feels. But Prosser has played great for the majority of the year. Very solid, steady and reliable. It’s nice to know that you have those options to put guys in. … I think that’s a big difference this year that we actually have the options to change the lineup, or if somebody gets hurt, we can put somebody in.”

Moulson, after struggling early in the playoffs, was scratched for Game 4 after Yeo said he had been playing with a “lower body injury.”

It was Ballard’s second game since returning to the lineup after he replaced defenseman Nate Prosser in Game 3.

“I want to get back in and play to my a game and play with a chip on my shoulder and play physical and be hard on their forwards in the corner or in front of the net,” Prosser said. “Just do what I can to help this team win.”

Prosser likely will join Clayton Stoner on the Wild’s third defensive pairing, where he played in Games 1 and 2 before exiting the lineup for Ballard.

“I felt bad for him coming back and getting an injury,” Stoner said of Ballard. “I know how that feels. But Prosser has played great for the majority of the year. Very solid, steady and reliable. It’s nice to know that you have those options to put guys in. … I think that’s a big difference this year that we actually have the options to change the lineup or if somebody gets hurt we can put somebody in.”

Moulson, after struggles earlier in the playoffs, was scratched in the Wild’s Game 4 win Friday after Yeo said he had been playing with a “lower body injury.”

Chad Graff joined the Pioneer Press in April of 2013 -- long enough to cover three straight Wild playoff exits at the hands of the Blackhawks -- after working for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Boston Globe. He's lived in California and Texas, but most recently spent a decade in New Hampshire. He watched New England fans celebrate seven championships in his time there, yet somehow his only sports allegiance lies with Nebraska football.

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